after twelve days of cruising, she spotted the 11,237 GRT American tanker Esso Williamsburg in the central North Atlantic and sank her with one torpedo, killing 28. This was followed six days later by another success in a similar area, when the British ship was sunk by three torpedoes with all 45 crew on board. The promising career of U-254 was almost cut short on this cruise, when the Norwegian damaged her with depth charges during an attack on a convoy in the same area as her previous victories. Third patrol After repairs, U-254 departed in late November 1942, returning to her old operating grounds of the North Atlantic routes. In December, the weather in the region is atrocious and visibility practically nil, so as U-254 maneuvered to attack Convoy HX 217, to which she had been directed on 8 December, it is perhaps unsurprising that her crew failed to see come steaming out of the gloom and straight into her broadside. The two submarines had become lost in the dark and collided with one another in a freak accident, which claimed 41 of U-254s crew, who were spilled into the ocean as the boat heeled over and sank. Sailors from U-221 dived into the turbulent sea tied to ropes, and succeeded in rescuing four bedraggled survivors of the sinking. U-221 was badly damaged. Unable to dive, Oberleutnant zur See Trojer aborted the patrol and returned to St. Nazaire, France. Summary of raiding history References Bibliography External links German Type VIIC submarines World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean World War II submarines of Germany U-boats sunk in collisions U-boats commissioned in 1941 1941 ships U-boats sunk in 1942 Ships built in Bremen (state) Maritime incidents in December 1942